The present invention relates to racks, and more particularly to adjustable racks and rack systems for storing and displaying merchandise and other items, methods of assembling such racks and rack systems, and components of such racks and rack systems.
Conventional warehouse-type racks are increasingly used in applications for which they were not initially designed. Previously, such racks were commonly employed in storage and warehouse facilities to store and organize products in bulk form. However, for purposes of cost-savings and with the increased popularity of warehouse-type stores, many users now employ warehouse-type racks in retail establishments. Although such racks are strong, durable, and are capable of storing large quantities of product, a number of drawbacks exist in using warehouse-type racks to display and store merchandise (as well as for other purposes).
By way of example only, conventional warehouse-type racks are significantly limited in their adjustabilityxe2x80x94and hence the different shelving configurations possiblexe2x80x94due to the relatively large sizes of the rack components. In many warehouse-type racks, stretchers extend laterally and in front-rear directions in order to connect vertically-extending uprights. Such uprights typically have a limited number locations to which the stretchers can be connected. This limitation is at least partially the product of the heavy-duty design of such racks, which are intended to carry much larger loads than relatively light-duty merchandise racks and displays found in most retail establishments.
As another example, warehouse-type racks are not well-suited to display and store merchandise and other product in more than a limited number of manners. Typically, warehouse-type racks have relatively large shelves each providing an open space upon which product can be stored. Although well-suited for storing large quantities of product in a limited amount of space, such racks are not well-suited for displaying merchandise, for efficiently storing and displaying smaller quantities of product (e.g., merchandise in unbundled form, individually-wrapped products, and the like), for permitting easy adjustment of shelving and displays, and for other purposes.
Some embodiments of the present invention provide structure that can be installed within a warehouse-type rack to convert such a rack for use as a merchandise and/or display rack. In this manner, warehouse-type racks can be provided with a significantly greater degree of adjustability to accommodate a greater number of shelving and/or product storage and display configurations.
In some embodiments, the structure installed within a warehouse-type rack includes one or more of the following components: secondary front-rear stretchers, secondary uprights connecting upper and lower secondary front-rear stretchers on the rack, stabilizer bars connecting secondary front-rear stretchers together, support spacers connecting secondary uprights and/or secondary front-rear stretchers, and display walls or panels directly or indirectly connected to the secondary uprights and/or secondary front-rear stretchers.
Preferably, the secondary uprights are adjustably connected to the secondary frontrear stretchers so that the secondary uprights can be secured in different positions within the warehouse-type rack. In some embodiments, the secondary uprights can be secured in different front-rear positions in the rack. In other embodiments, the secondary uprights can be secured in different vertical positions with respect to the secondary front-rear stretchers. In still other embodiments the secondary uprights can be secured in different front-rear positions and can be secured in different vertical positions with respect to the secondary front-rear stretchers.
The structure of the present invention preferably enables a user to convert a warehouse-type rack to a storage and display rack that is more suited for a retail environment, is better adapted for displaying different merchandise and other product, and/or has increased adjustability to meet the demands of different users and applications.